Hooked on You
by Emmasj
Summary: A 'Harry is going to propose' story.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: Characters belong to JKR.

**A/N**: I hate this ship so much. But I've been asked to write this story, so I'm going to try. If it's obvious how much I hate the ship, please let me know and I'll work on it.

* * *

"Okay, here goes. I was, er, thinking about . . . asking Ginny to marry me."

A scream pierced the night sharply but Harry, fast and prepared, whipped his wand through the air and silenced Hermione before, hopefully, much alarm was caused.

"Shut up," Harry hissed at her as she clapped her hands over her mouth. Ron shot him a reproachful look, but wrapped his arm around Hermione's shoulders and squeezed.

"Hermione, everyone's asleep," Ron said gently. "We need to be quiet."

Harry glanced quickly around the living room of the Burrow, where they sat. It was just past midnight on New Year's Eve, one day away from the year 2001. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had come to the Burrow to celebrate Christmas and New Year's; even though they all worked at the Ministry, they were all too busy to spend as much time together as they would have liked, especially since Ron and Hermione's wedding in 1999. This was the first chance Harry had to talk to them about his idea of proposing to Ginny, although, admittedly, it had only really entered his mind about a week ago.

Ron turned back to Harry. "We used _Muffliato_, did you really have to silence her like that?"

"Well, it's been a long time since I used that spell, I wasn't sure—wait, no, missing the point," said Harry, and he waved one hand around his head impatiently. "I want to ask Ginny to marry me."

Ron's expression did not change. Hermione, still silent, had tears pouring down her face. Harry noticed and rolled his eyes. He looked back at Ron.

Ron shrugged. "What do you want me to say, mate? Go for it?"

Harry blinked. "I'd like your blessing. I mean, traditionally, I would just ask your dad if it's okay with him, but I don't think he's the only one I should be concerned with here."

"You've always had my blessing, Harry, you know that." Ron paused, then took a deep breath and sat back, as though he had suddenly realized something huge. "Oh God. You're going to ask Ginny to marry you."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "How much mead did you have earlier?"

Hermione lifted her arms and waved them around hysterically, furiously glaring at Harry. Harry pointed his wand at her again and a moment later she said, "Thanks." She wiped the tears away with her sleeve and sniffed. "Oh Harry . . . how long have you been thinking this?"

"Not long," he admitted. "I mean, I guess I always knew we'd end up together, but actually thinking about proposing is a new thing. Well, I thought about it when you guys got married, but it didn't feel like the right time, so I shrugged it off, but now . . ."

"Oh, this is so wonderful!" Hermione squealed, but she carefully kept her voice down. She beamed at Harry in the candlelight. He reluctantly smiled back at her.

Ron shook his head slightly and seemed to recover. The other two looked at him, waiting for him to speak. Ron looked at Hermione for a moment, and then looked at Harry. Finally, he said, "She really makes you that happy?"

"As happy as Hermione makes you," said Harry.

"Mate, that's not saying much," Ron muttered to him. Hermione punched his arm angrily. He glared at her, his mouth agape, until she turned away. Then a grin crept over his face and he winked at Harry while wrapping his arm back around her. Hermione looked up at him and smiled grudgingly. Harry chuckled.

"See, I want that," said Harry, gesturing at them. "Except without the violence."

Ron and Hermione laughed. Knowing each other as well as they did, both Harry and Hermione could tell Ron had more to say and so they looked at him again expectantly.

Ron sighed, unsure of how to word his thoughts, and looked down.

"What's wrong?" asked Harry, resigning himself to the worst, though he could not see why; he had expected Ron to embrace the idea.

"It's just . . . it's always been the three of us," said Ron, looking at him again. "I mean, you're my best mate . . . and Hermione, you're my wife," he said, looking at her. "And that's how it's always been. Well, not always, I mean, we haven't always been married, but . . . no, I don't know what I'm trying to say, never mind."

"No, if there's something wrong, I want you to tell me," said Harry.

"Not wrong exactly, just weird I suppose. It seems like things would change so much, because it wouldn't just be the three of us anymore. . . . Does that make sense?"

"No," Hermione said curiously.

Harry sat back in his chair. "Things are always changing," he said, a bit confused. "Things changed back in sixth year, when Ginny and I started dating. Things changed on the Horcrux Hunt, and during the Battle. Things changed when you guys got married."

"I know, I know," said Ron. "But it's still us. We're like this unbreakable Trio, and it feels . . . weird . . . to think about you getting married to someone else."

Harry and Hermione still looked undeniably confused.

"So . . . you think I should marry Hermione?" Harry asked.

Ron shrugged again. "At least then, it would still just be us." After a moment, he grinned. "I'm kidding. Harry, you know I support you dating my sister, and if you want to marry her, I'll support that, too. I think it will just take some time for me to get my mind around the idea."

Harry and Hermione slowly nodded.

"Okay. Thanks," said Harry.

Hermione suddenly whipped around to look at Harry. "When are you going to do it?"

"I don't know, I don't have any real plans yet. I'm still just thinking about it."

"There's always her birthday," Ron said, "if you wanted to wait eight months."

"Oh, yeah, I forgot. What's traditionally the amount to spend on an engagement ring?" asked Harry. "In the Muggle world, it's something like . . . three months salary." He looked at Hermione for confirmation.

"Two weeks to three months, yes. It's relatively the same in the Wizarding world. It depends on your plans for the future—if the couple needs to buy a house or something, it's wise to only use about two weeks salary, but you already have a house."

"But three months of my salary is a hell of a lot."

"Let me know when you want to go shopping, I'll go with you!" Hermione said excitedly. "We'll find the perfect ring!"

"Sure, okay."

Hermione was bouncing in her seat, obviously too excited to sit still, and Ron had leaned back on the couch. He looked exhausted and Harry noticed.

"Hey, I'm going to bed," said Harry. "You guys should too. We can talk more in the morning."

"Cheers, mate."

"Good night, Harry!"

Hermione swiftly gave Harry a kiss on the cheek as she passed him, and Ron clapped him on the shoulder. Harry waited until he heard their door close upstairs before sitting back down. Despite what he had just said, he waved his wand to extinguish the candles and sat in the dark living room for a long time before going up to bed.

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	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**: Please be on the lookout for lines that could be considered mean toward Ginny. I don't want them in here, but I hate her, so they sometimes show up without my knowing. If you find any, please point them out to me.

* * *

Harry woke up the next morning just before eight o'clock. George, who was also at the Burrow for the holidays, was sharing the room with Harry, and was already up and getting dressed.

"'Morning," George said once Harry sat up.

"Happy New Year's Eve."

"Same to you." George straightened his hat in the mirror and then said, "So, you got in late last night. Three Musketeers been plotting something I should know about?"

Harry cocked his head to one side. "How do you know about the Three Musketeers? Aren't they in Muggle culture?"

"They're gigantic in Muggle culture. Sometimes, with literature like that, boundaries between worlds aren't enough to damper the knowledge."

Harry nodded slowly. "I see."

"So, what are you, Ron, and Hermione up to? Is it going to affect me? Should I be aware of it? Is it devious? And if so, is there any way I can help?"

Harry laughed, then took a deep breath. "You'll find out eventually. I would tell you now, but I'm not sure about how well you could keep it a secret."

While George looked extremely offended, Harry got out of bed and started to dress.

They headed down to breakfast together a few minutes later. Just as Harry entered the kitchen, a young voice yelled, "HARRY!" and a small boy launched in his direction. Harry caught his godson in mid-jump and slung him up into a hug.

"Teddy, happy New Year's Eve."

Four-year-old Teddy's hair was rapidly changing color—it was his way of showing joy. Harry watched him for a moment before saying,

"Red! Green! Purple! Orange!"

Teddy scrunched up his face, took control of the colors, and turned his hair to whatever color Harry said. After about a minute of this, Harry unceremoniously dropped Teddy (who landing on his feet), and looked around the room. Mrs. Weasley was sitting at the table with Mrs. Tonks, both of them smiling while they watched Harry and Teddy; George was leaning against one of the counters; and Ginny was fixing herself a plate of food by the stove. She had looked up and smiled when Harry walked in, but had seen Harry and Teddy interact enough to not let it interfere too much with her life.

Harry grabbed Teddy's hand and pulled him over to stand behind Ginny. Ginny turned to look at them and Harry gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Good morning," she said sweetly.

"Good morning," Harry replied. He suddenly wished he had left Teddy on the other side of the room, but since there was nothing to do about it now, Harry picked him up again.

"How have you been, Ted?"

"Fine. Can we play with the broomstick you got me?"

"Later, we sure can."

"Why later?" Teddy whined.

"Because now, I'm hungry. So unless you want me to eat you or the broomstick, we can play later." Teddy laughed hysterically as Harry set him down. Harry poked him. "Go give your grandmother your hug." While Teddy launched himself toward Andromeda, Harry picked up a plate and spooned some food out for himself. "Ron and Hermione still asleep?" he asked Ginny.

"I suppose. Their room is right above Bill's, and according to Mum, Victoire was up a lot last night. I didn't hear her, but it could have kept them up."

"Well, they didn't get to bed 'til late anyway," George interrupted. "They and Harry were up _plotting_."

Harry's heart started to pound and he could feel a flush creeping onto his face. Mrs. Weasley and Mrs. Tonks were talking and hadn't noticed anything—Teddy was sitting next to his grandmother, making his own nose change shape. Ginny, however, was looking at Harry curiously.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"We weren't _plotting_," Harry said, a bit more quickly than normal. "We were just talking. Getting caught up." He averted his eyes, picked up a fork, and went to sit next to Teddy. It was a few seconds before Ginny and George joined them at the table and though Harry avoided looking at them he could tell Ginny was confused.

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	3. Chapter 3

**A/N**: "My-nee" is Teddy-talk for "Hermione."

* * *

A few hours later, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Teddy were headed to a park. Originally, Harry and Ginny were going to take Teddy, but Ginny opted to stay home with Victoire, who was in an outrageously good mood after her busy night. As soon as Ron and Hermione heard that, they decided to accompany Harry, which made Harry rather uncomfortable.

As soon as Teddy ran off to get in line for the slide, Hermione wrapped her arm around Harry's waist.

"So, when do you want to go shopping?" she said as she steered him toward a bench. Harry waited until the three of them sat down, Hermione on his left, Ron on his right, before answering.

"Yeah, about that . . . sorry, guys, but I don't know if I can do it."

Both sets of eyes widened.

"What do you mean?" asked Ron.

Harry ran a hand through his hair. "George noticed how late it was when I went to bed, thought we had been 'plotting,' and then mentioned it to Ginny at breakfast." He looked up and watched Teddy running toward the monkey bars to join some other children. "I got so nervous, I couldn't even look at her. I feel like . . . if now is really the right time, I shouldn't be so nervous."

"Harry, the fact that she makes you nervous just proves how much you love her," whispered Hermione, obviously horrified.

Harry looked at Hermione for a few seconds, but then turned to Ron. "When you proposed, were you nervous?"

"Of course!" said Ron, but Harry narrowed his eyes. "Okay, well, kind of," Ron conceded. "I _was_ nervous, but it wasn't too bad. I knew Hermione would say yes, so there wasn't much to be worried about." He smiled and reached across Harry to take Hermione's hand.

"That's it, then. I don't _know_ if she'd say yes."

"How can you say that?" breathed Hermione. "You know she loves you!"

"Yes, I do, I don't doubt that about her. But what if she doesn't want to get married just yet?"

"You two have been dating steadily for four years, Harry," said Ron. "Hermione and I didn't date nearly that long."

"She's loved you since she first met you," said Hermione.

"I haven't loved her that long," said Harry, and instantly realized that made no sense. He shrugged. "No, I don't know . . ."

Hermione's eyes grew wider still. She reached behind Harry and smacked Ron in the back of his head. "_You did this to him_!" she snarled furiously.

Harry jumped and turned toward her. "No, Hermione, it's not his fault!"

"Yes, it is!" She looked at Ron again. "You were confused last night, and now you've gone and confused him!"

"My-nee, hitting isn't nice, you could get in trouble."

They all jumped and saw Teddy standing in front of them, completely unnoticed until that moment.

Harry faltered for a moment and then scooped Teddy up to sit in his lap. "Hey buddy, having fun?"

"Yes. Is My-nee in trouble?"

"No, Ron is," Hermione muttered.

Harry glared at her before saying, "No, Ted, no one's in trouble. Sometimes, when married people get mad at each other, it's okay to hit. Just sometimes. And see, Ron isn't hurt, so it's okay."

"Yeah, she's too small to hurt a big guy like me," said Ron, tapping Teddy on the shoulder.

Teddy grinned, and then looked back at Harry. "What does 'married' mean?"

Harry hesitated. Teddy's parents were dead, and his grandmother was a widow, so it should not have been surprising that the idea of marriage was lost on him; but it was. "Well," Harry started, "'married' is when two people love each other . . . and promise to take care of each other forever."

"Does that mean me and you are married?" asked Teddy.

"No, you're my godson—that's a different relationship."

"Are you going to get married?" asked Teddy.

Harry hesitated again. "Maybe. Someday."

"Are you going to marry Ginny?"

Harry blinked. "Why would you think that?"

"You love her. And sometimes you smile at her like Ron and My-nee."

Hermione gave a small gasp and Harry did not have to look at her to know her eyes had filled with tears. Harry looked into Teddy's eyes for a few seconds, and marveled at their innocence. Was true love really that easy to spot?

"I might, Ted. I might."

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	4. Chapter 4

**A/N**: I know according to JKR, George ends up with Angelina. But I cannot write that, I just cannot. I prefer George/Katie (it isn't important to the fic, I just don't want people correcting me).

* * *

That night, Harry, Teddy, Mrs. Tonks, Katie Bell, Penelope Clearwater, and Taylor Smith (Charlie's girlfriend) joined the ten Weasleys to help bring in the new year (Victoire had already gone to sleep). They gathered around the wireless and listened as songs played and events of the year were recounted. Harry spent a lot of the time with Teddy sitting on his lap, listening to him rattle on about anything and everything. Ron, Hermione, and Ginny wandered over several times as the night went on, and eventually, Teddy had to go to sleep. He wanted to lay on the couch next to Harry, so they allowed him to do that, but once he was soundly asleep, Mrs. Tonks carried him away to bed. Ginny sat by Harry, and they started to pass around wine.

Finally, it was time for the countdown. Mrs. Tonks had not returned, but the ones still in the room paired off: Harry with Ginny; George with Katie; Percy with Penelope; Charlie with Taylor; and of course the married couples: Bill and Fleur; Ron and Hermione; and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. 

"Everyone, get ready, and make your wish!" cried Mrs. Weasley as the countdown began.

"10! 9! 8! 7!" Everyone in the room was chanting the numbers along with the people on the wireless, jittering with excitement. "6! 5! 4! 3! 2!" Harry turned and smiled at Ginny. "1! 0! Happy New Year's!"

Everyone broke into applause and then the couples kissed.

As soon as Ginny's lips touched his, Harry felt his nervousness, which had plagued him all night, melt away. He ran his fingers through her hair and knew, in that instant, that he never wanted to kiss anyone other than her ever again. She was perfection, and even if she said no, he had to ask. He wanted to marry her.

When they broke apart, everyone was still cheering and laughing. Ginny smiled at him.

The thought crossed his mind to kneel on one knee then and there, to ask her in front of their family and friends, to put her on the spot, without a ring and without any idea of what he would say—but if his past taught him anything, it was that acting on impulse was rarely a good idea. This had to be handled delicately, and properly. He needed a ring, and more importantly he needed the proper blessings.

As soon as he thought it would not seem suspicious, Harry pulled Mr. Weasley aside and asked for a word. They walked together into the empty kitchen and Harry took a deep breath. As soon as the door closed, the noise from the party was greatly muffled.

"What's on your mind?" Mr. Weasley asked.

Harry hesitated, and quickly thought about what to say. "Mr. Weasley, Ginny and I . . . have been together a long time. You know I'm crazy about her. And I . . ." But Harry faltered because of the look on Mr. Weasley's face.

"Harry, are you asking me for my daughter's hand in marriage?" he asked. His face showed a mixture of amusement, compassion, understanding, and joy.

Harry relaxed a bit and smiled. "Yes, I am."

Mr. Weasley pursed his lips for a moment before nodding and saying, "You have my blessing." He reached out and pulled Harry into his arms. "I know you'll take care of her. After all, you've been taking care of all of us for years!"

They started back toward the door to rejoin the party, but Mr. Weasley hesitated. "Actually . . . you might want to talk to Bill and Charlie, as well. They aren't her father, but they did help raise her, and they'll be giving her away as much as I will. Percy and George, too, for good measure. I'm assuming you've already talk to Ron?" Harry nodded. "And let's not tell Molly until you're ready to ask Ginny. She'll never keep the secret from her."

Harry laughed and said, "Thanks, Mr. Weasley."

Mr. Weasley smiled warmly and laid his hand on Harry's shoulder as they reentered the party.

At around one o'clock in the morning, the party started to break up. Ron and Hermione had already disappeared, so Harry gave Ginny another kiss before heading upstairs with George. They walked into their bedroom and Harry closed the door behind them. Realizing that he did not want to risk another incident like the one at breakfast, Harry sat on his bed.

"George, we need to talk."

George, who was pulling out some pajamas, froze. Slowly, he turned to look at Harry. "Is this about the plot?"

Harry considered this, and then nodded. "Actually, yes."

George leaped onto his own bed and sat cross-legged, ready. "So, what is it?"

Harry took a deep breath. "I'm going to ask Ginny to marry me."

George's eyes widened. "Really?" he whispered excitedly.

"Yes."

"That's great!" he said. Harry blinked. He rarely heard George sound so sincere. George continued: "When are you going to ask her?"

"I don't know. I don't have a ring or anything yet—I talked to your dad about an hour ago, to get his blessing—"

"You have mine too, Harry."

Harry smiled. "Thanks."

* * *


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N**: This is my Harmony chapter. Sorry. I had to write it.

* * *

Over the next few days, Harry managed to get blessings from Bill, Charlie, and Percy as well. Hermione asked him constantly when he wanted to go shopping, and so finally, a week into 2003, he let her to drag him to Muggle London to look at rings. Harry, who knew nothing about rings, walked ideally around every jewelry shop they entered and allowed Hermione to talk to the consultants. According to Hermione, Harry was looking for an Asscher or Princess cut diamond engagement ring, no less than 2 carats, with a silver band. With this criteria in mind, the consultants in most of the shops had very few rings to show, though they all pulled out papers, saying they would be glad to order such a ring—that way, not only would Harry get what he wanted, but the ring would be made specifically for the lucky lady.

When they left the fourth shop, Hermione said, "We _could_ order one, I suppose. I have no idea how long it would take, and there's always the risk of getting it back and not liking it . . . but if we don't find one—"

"Hermione, exactly how much is this ring going to cost me?" Harry asked suspiciously.

"A lot," said Hermione honestly. "But you'll be able to afford it just fine, trust me. And Ginny will love it. What I have in mind is perfect for her."

"Okay, if you say so. D'you think there's any chance of shopping in the Wizarding world?"

"We could, but if you go in there asking for an engagement ring, the press will find out in a heartbeat. Then there's the risk that Ginny will hear about it that way."

Harry looked around the crowded streets of London, wondering how many more shops they would have to enter and leave, dejectedly. Hermione seemed to sense his frustration. 

"We'll find it, Harry. Don't worry."

But another month went by without finding the right ring, and by now, Harry was getting impatient—and so was the rest of the family. George asked Harry at least once a week if he had decided on a date to propose. Bill, who had refrained from telling Fleur because he could not trust her to keep the secret, mentioned to Harry once that he needed to hurry up, because Fleur could tell Bill was keeping something from her and she did not like it. Charlie and Percy did not ask Harry directly for updates, but they both started writing to him more often, obviously hoping to get information as quickly as they could. Ron and Mr. Weasley seemed to be the only ones who knew and were not getting frustrated.

"Just relax," Ron said one day when he was over at Harry's house in Godric's Hollow. "You'll find the right ring, you'll find the right date, and it'll all work out."

"I know," Harry sighed. "But Ginny can tell that something's going on. She asked me the other day, but I couldn't tell her. I felt awful lying to her."

"Then don't. Next time she asks, just say she'll find out eventually, but you can't tell her yet."

"With our past, she'll probably think Voldemort's back and I'm going off to fight him," Harry pointed out.

"Oh. . . . Then tell her it's nothing _bad_, it just has to be a secret."

Before Harry could reply, a streak of silver flew into the house, landed on the floor, and swirled into a silver otter. The otter opened its mouth and spoke with Hermione's voice.

"I've found it," she said. "Come quickly, Harry." Then the Patronus disappeared.

Harry stood up. "Hermione went shopping today?" he asked.

"Yes. She said there was one more shop she wanted to look in, but she knew you were getting tired of them. Here, she gave me the address." Ron reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of parchment on which Hermione had scribbled the name of the shop and street.

"Okay, fine. Want to come?" Harry asked as he took the parchment.

"No thanks. I looked at plenty of rings when I was planning to propose to Hermione."

"You looked in one shop! You picked the first ring they showed you!" Harry said incredulously.

"Yeah, that was enough for me. Good luck, mate," Ron said, and then he Disapparated. Harry shook his head, focused on the street name where the shop was located, and turned on the spot.

When he opened his eyes, he was standing in an alleyway between two large buildings. He quickly made his way to the street and looked around. There was a jewelry shop two buildings away, but everywhere looked closed. No one was there, the buildings were all beaten down, and it seemed like it was much later in the day. Harry had no idea how Hermione could have found the expensive, 2-carat diamond ring she was looking for here, but he walked to the jewelry shop anyway. He pulled the door open, stepped inside, and was shocked.

He knew instantly that this was a magical shop. It was beautiful inside—warm, bright, and clean, it looked nothing like he had expected. Counters full of rings, necklaces, watches, and bracelets lined the walls. Hermione was standing on the other side of the room, talking to a consultant. She looked around as he entered, and then ran to him.

"I thought we decided not to try any magical shops?" he asked her.

"This one is different, Harry. This is the owner, Mrs. Ahearn." She grabbed his hand and pulled him over to the consultant she had been speaking with.

"Hello, Mr. Potter," Mrs. Ahearn said calmly.

"Hello," Harry said politely.

"Mrs. Ahearn is Mr. Ollivander's sister," Hermione explained. "She specializes in making jewelry for witches, though her shop isn't well known."

"My brother is famous enough for the both of us," said Mrs. Ahearn. "I prefer a quieter life, without the pressure and strain he has to suffer."

Suddenly, Harry was able to see a family resemblance in Mrs. Ahearn's pale eyes and wondered, as he had with Mr. Ollivander, just how dependable Mrs. Ahearn was going to be.

"I decided we could trust her not to tell anyone about you proposing," said Hermione. "She wouldn't want the publicity."

"I see," Harry said, feeling slightly more relaxed. "So you said you had the ring picked out?"

"Well, yes, but I'd rather you picked it out. Mrs. Ahearn put together a set of rings for you to look at, and if it jumps out at you like it did to me, we'll know it's the right one," said Hermione.

Mrs. Ahearn reached under the counter and pulled out a set of about twenty rings, all beautiful, all fitting under the criteria Hermione had specified (at least, they all appeared to, in Harry's eyes). He secretly thought that any of them would work, but he knew Hermione would be let down if he said so. He picked up the first ring and examined it. Nothing about it shouted at him that it was the right one, so he put it back and leaned closer to look at them all.

Then he saw it.

It was in the third row. It was not the biggest ring of the group, nor was it the smallest, but it caught his eye. He stared at it for a moment, and then picked it up. Something about it seemed to say "Ginny," though he could not put his finger on what it was about the ring.

Finally he said, "This is it. This is Ginny's ring."

Hermione let out an excited squeal. "That's what I think, too, Harry! Isn't it perfect?"

"It really is," he said, still looking at the ring.

"Wonderful choice, Mr. Potter," said Mrs. Ahearn. "Two-and-a-half carats, Asscher cut diamond, with a non-oxidizing silver band."

"How much is it?" Harry asked, a bit guardedly.

"Normally, just over eight thousand galleons. However, considering what you have done for my brother in the past, I am willing to lower the price by fifty percent," said Mrs. Ahearn.

"That's very generous of you, thank you," said Harry. Four thousand galleons was still an almost outrageous amount of money, but now that he had seen the ring, he knew he must have it.

* * *


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N**: Last chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

"Would you stop fidgeting? You're making _me_ nervous," Ron snapped.

It was Valentine's Day, exactly one week after Harry had bought the engagement ring. He was going to propose to Ginny tonight.

"Harry, relax. Everything is fine," Hermione said soothingly. The three of them were sitting in the living room of his house in Godric's Hollow. The plan, as Harry had it now, was to go to the Burrow for lunch, bring Ginny back to his house for a bit of wine and candlelight, and then ask her.

"I know," Harry said, but he continued to fidget.

Ron looked at his watch. "It's almost one. Time to go."

Ron and Hermione stood up.

"I'll meet you guys there in a minute, okay?" said Harry. The other two shrugged and Disapparated.

Harry stood up and went to get the ring from his bedroom. He sat down on the bed and looked at it, trying to imagine proposing . . . he had gone over everything in his head a thousand times. The ring was perfect—desperately, he thought that even if Ginny did not want to marry him, she might say yes just to get the ring. Finally, he slipped the ring in his pocket, not wanting to leave it, and Disapparated to the Burrow.

The living room was full of people. Harry had told George when he was going to propose, and George had, apparently, told the rest of his brothers. Bill smiled at Harry as he walked in.

"Hey Harry," said Bill, and the room went quiet. Everyone looked around at him—Harry thought they could try to be a little more subtle, as Ginny walked over and gave him a kiss.

"Happy Valentine's Day," he told her, and he could feel the excitement swell in the room.

"Thanks," said Ginny.

"Lunch is ready," said Mrs. Weasley, coming out of the kitchen. "Hello Harry, dear."

Bill, Fleur, Charlie, Percy, George, Ron, Hermione, Harry, and Ginny entered the kitchen and sat down at the enlarged table, with Mr. Weasley, and allowed Mrs. Weasley to serve them all.

"It's a little cramped," said Mrs. Weasley as she made her way around the table. "I didn't realize everyone would be here or else I would have set up something outside—but I'm glad, so glad."

"Well, Valentine's Day is an important day," said George, winking at Harry. Harry glared back at him, hoping Ginny had not noticed. Once Mrs. Weasley sat down at the table, everyone started to eat. Ginny, Mrs. Weasley, and Fleur seemed to be the ones leading the conversation, as everyone else only had one thing on their minds.

By the time everyone had finished eating, Mrs. Weasley was looking a little annoyed, obviously wondering why everyone wanted to be at her house if they had so little to say; but she thanked them all for coming as they started to leave.

Bill, Charlie, and Percy all clapped Harry on the shoulder as they passed him, silently wishing him good luck, and then went to wrap their arms around Ginny and give her a kiss on the cheek. It was not out of the ordinary for her brothers to do this, but there was a slightly suspicious look in her eyes none the less.

Finally, with only George, Ron, Hermione, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley left with them in the house, Harry turned to Ginny.

"Ready to go?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said. Harry took her hand and they Apparated.

Once they were inside his house, Ginny went to sit on the couch, and Harry went to get the wine, but Ginny stopped him.

"Harry," she said. "Forget the wine. We need to talk."

Harry stopped on his way to the kitchen, and then turned around. "About what?"

"What's going on?" asked Ginny. "Ever since New Year's, you've been avoiding me and lying to me. You have some kind of secret, and you've been spending a lot more time with Ron and Hermione."

Harry sighed. This was not going the way he planned. "Gin—"

"I know they're your best friends, but I'm your girlfriend. You can't just blow me off to spend time with them. So what's going on?"

Harry move to the couch and sat next to her. He looked into her eyes, and was surprised to see fear. "Wait," he said. "What are afraid of?"

She looked down. "Of something happening. . . . The last time all of this happened, you left to find Horcruxes. I know you don't have to do that again, but I guess I'm worried that you might be getting into something that will make you leave me again."

Harry almost laughed at the irony, but controlled himself—laughing would be a bad move.

"That isn't it at all," he said.

"It isn't?"

"No. It's . . . the opposite, actually. Ginny, I love you. I'm not going to leave you ever again."

"So what's the big secret?"

As Harry looked into Ginny's eyes, memories entered his mind. He was not sure why, but he felt like he had to voice them aloud.

"Do you remember the first time we kissed?" he asked.

"How on Earth could I ever forget that?"

Harry smiled. "It was such a spontaneous thing. I never thought I would kiss you, but I did. Most of the time, for me, something spontaneous leads to something terrible. But that . . . that lead to one of the best things in my life."

Ginny smiled now, too. "Nothing in this relationship has been planned," she said.

Then Harry realized . . . "So I guess this shouldn't be, either," he whispered.

"What are you talking about?"

Harry kissed her; it lasted no more than a few seconds. Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out the little box. Her eyes widened when she saw it. He held it between them, and opened it so she could see the ring.

"Ginny, will you marry me?"

Her hand briefly covered her mouth and her eyes never left the ring. Then she said, "This is why you've been acting so weird. This is why my _whole family_ has been acting so weird, how many of them know?"

"All your brothers, your father, and Hermione."

Several seconds passed as she stared at the ring, but she said nothing else. Harry, who had been completely calm for the past few minutes, was getting nervous yet again.

Finally, he said, "Ginny?"

She started, as though she forgot he was there, and looked up at him. Then she smiled.

"Yes. Of course, I'll marry you."

Harry let out a relieved laugh and kissed her again. Then he pulled the ring out of the box and slipped it on her finger.

"This ring is gorgeous," she said. "It must have cost you a fortune."

"It was worth it," said Harry.

Slowly, the fact that they were now engaged started to sink in. Ginny started bouncing in her seat and she let out an uncharacteristic squeal.

"We're engaged!" she shouted. Harry laughed. They stood up and embraced, too excited to sit still. They half-danced, half-jumped around the room, kissing and laughing. Then Harry remembered.

"Oh, wait, your family wants to know what happened," he said.

"Forget them," she said.

"No, they need to know." Harry raised his wand and used his Patronus to send the message to Hermione, Mr. Weasley, and George, along with a plea to spread the word. He knew he probably had only seconds before they all started showing up, so he calmed down and took Ginny's face in his hands. "I love you," he whispered.

She took a deep breath, recognizing his need for seriousness, but she could not stop smiling. "I love you, too."

* * *

**A/N**: Thank goodness it's over . . . was it obvious how much I hated this fic? Anyway, thanks for reading!


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